New Delhi: In less than a week, Sameer Rizvi has become the toast of the ongoing IPL. The boy wonder from Uttar Pradesh aced two chases under pressure to keep the Delhi Capitals unbeaten in the tournament. This repaid the franchise’s faith, especially considering the team was in a fix during the transfer window a few months ago. As TimesofIndia.com reported in November, Sanju Samson was very close to a DC move before conversations hit a roadblock. The roadblock wasn’t because of Samson or Tristan Stubbs – the player whose name was on the table for a swap – but because of the RR’s demand for “another uncapped Indian player.” The franchise was willing to let go of Samson, who himself had already decided to move, but wanted to strike a good bargain in the transaction. The uncapped Indian name put on the table was none other than Rizvi and DC quickly took a backseat, unwilling to let go of the player in whom they see a lot of potential. Even if it meant not having an explosive Samson in the squad.
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Rizvi played only five games in the 2025 season, scoring 121 runs but the think-tank was seemingly happy with what they saw in the games, and during training, leading them to place a longer bet on the right-hander. DC were convinced they got a steal at Rs 95 lakh – down from Rizvi’s 2024 price tag of Rs 8.40 crore, which CSK paid – and the work he put into his game in the last 12 months is reaping rewards in the 2026 season.In an unbeaten 70 under pressure against Lucknow Super Giants and then a masterful 90 vs the Mumbai Indians, the 22-year-old showcased maturity beyond his years in both the run-chases to take the league by the storm. His last three outings for DC, including the final fixture of the 2025 season, were Player of the Match performances. In the ongoing season, he has controlled two tricky run-chases with a very calm head, remaining unfazed by the situation, occasion and the opposition. He made significant noise in the age-group circuit for Uttar Pradesh during his formative years but was put on the map after CSK went all-out to get him at the 2024 auction for Rs 8.40 crore. The returns weren’t encouraging in his debut season but the lessons from the failures helped him understand his areas of concern. He spent the next 12-18 months improving his game against quality pace and the comfort was visible in his knocks against LSG and MI.
Delhi Capitals’ Sameer Rizvi plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April. 4, 2026. (AP)
He walked into bat at 7/2 vs MI and 21/2 vs LSG but on both occasions, the plan was simple: buy time, get set and dominate. The start wasn’t explosive, but he recovered in the second half of the innings and more importantly, handled the situation perfectly. DC had the option of sending much more experienced batters but they preferred Rizvi, and he repaid their faith. Many promising uncapped Indian players experience first-season jitters, but few return to dominate like Rizvi has. The youngster identified his weakness against fast bowling, spent the extra hours getting comfortable and the ease with which he operated in both the run-chases showed his control.
Sameer Rizvi celebrates his half-century during the Indian Premier League 2026 match against Mumbai Indians at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. (ANI)
“I have worked a lot on my game in the last 12 months. fast bowlers pe thoda sa kabhi problem hoti thi, toh unpe maine poora saal kaam kiya hai. I am getting rewards for my hard work. I try to play as per situation especially while chasing and that’s how I played in both the innings. The situation demanded some time early on and that’s what I did. I try seeing the ball till the very last moment and it has helped me significantly,” said Rizvi after the match-winning knock vs MI in Delhi.These are still early days in the IPL and in Rizvi’s career but based on what we have seen of the youngster so far, the road ahead looks very promising. The DC think tank deserves a pat on their back first for acquiring him at a steal and then for resisting all transfer temptations.
